Audibility 4.2: Calling & Conviction
In the intro of the episode (1:03-4:35), Lukas and Jae set up the episode and introduce today’s guest, Olivia Jones. She is a good friend of ours and a Christian Studies Major here at Anderson University, SC, looking to go into ministry. Olivia actually has her own podcast, the Liv Intentionally Podcast! She has people on to talk through their stories and to see how God has worked in and through them. You should definitely check it out, she’s super passionate about it and it’s really life-giving to hear people’s testimonies in a laid back and intentional setting. Lukas and Jae will actually be on an episode of Olivia’s podcast sometime soon, so keep on the lookout for that! This episode sort of got away from us in a very Good, very unexpected sort of way, and we touched on topics and stories that we weren’t planning on talking about. Let’s hop in! In the first part of the episode (8:54-19:08), we talk about how both Olivia and Jae grew up as pastor’s kids in ministry. We talk a bit about the importance of giving back to pastors and their families, not neglecting to love and serve them well as they love and serve us. Olivia shares her family’s story of moving from Manchester, England, to Dallas, Texas, when her dad felt the call to ministry. When he got his degree after a few years in Texas, they moved to Chicago to pastor a church for a few years. Olivia and her family now live in and minister to the city of Asheville, North Carolina! Olivia shares a little about her experiences in all of these different places and highlights the culture shock she’s felt. In the second part of the episode (19:29-32:50), Olivia tells us about her and her family’s passion for Asheville. If you’ve been to Asheville, you know that it’s a pretty wacky place, but wacky places need the Lord. She talks about some of the spiritual attacks her family has felt from the Enemy because of being so immersed in ministry, and she mentions how that suffering and behind-the-scenes look at the hard parts makes her want to dive back into it that much more. We talk about the oftentimes negative perceptions of being a pastor’s kid, but that people on the outside looking in very rarely consider the harder parts of being in ministry growing up as an eleven or twelve-years-old pastor’s kid. Olivia and Jae talk about the expectations and pressure, negative and positive, of being a pastor’s kid. We talk about the way that being a pastor’s kid has shaped their Faith throughout the years. Jae mentions that it’s been a sort of assurance and has helped him to grow into his calling as an ambassador for the Kingdom as a missionary, but more importantly as a tool for God’s use. Olivia mentions how it’s sometimes difficult to see the tougher ways that God works in the lives of people in ministry. Generally speaking, people may have very different reactions to being involved in specific ministries, sometimes having incorrect perceptions of their responsibilities as a servant. In the final part of the episode (33:10-44:45), we talk about conviction and calling and how the two oftentimes are extremely tied together. This Christian life is not an easy one, and we, as followers of Christ, need to count the cost of that life and of our calling to ministry. Out of a lack of firsthand experience, we make the obligatory reference to “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” in order to discuss the toll that ministry can have on an individual. Olivia shares how she got the idea for her podcast in the midst of immediate suffering and we talk about what it looks like to act on conviction, a responsibility that we all have. For more information on what we're all about here at The Audibility Podcast, go ahead and check out our website https://audibilitypodcast.com, and to get connected with us, follow us on Instagram, @audibilitypodcast.
